Afra Raymond: Three myths about corruption

[@sebastianyu5383]

Corruption is not AN issue, it is THE issue

[@Notallowed101]

Amen to that.

[@micheldriessen5081]

Indeed, corruption is the norm all over the world. Evil rules.

[@ocek2744]

It's the issue that affects all other issues.

[@trinisuprazee]

I am from Trinidad and Tobago and could not be more proud of my fellow countrymen standing up and fighting injustice! Keep it sweet T&T

[@talhoyle]

There were supposed to be three myths about corruption, but one of them was embezzled.

[@curious_one1156]

Side effects of being in the central bank building !

[@dakattack8900]

I'm very happy that Morpheus decided to leave the Matrix to give us this Ted Talk.

[@andraslibal]

7:45 will you take the red pill ... or the blue pill

[@lightwishatnight]

If you are unable to differentiate between Lawrence Fishbourne and Afra Raymond, you lack very much needed exposure to other ethnicities and cultures. If you are making a joke, you are disguising racism and trying to discredit Afra's really important message. There is a place and time for comedy, and this isn't it, chief! Cheers.

[@dakattack8900]

@@lightwishatnight Sad part of this reply of yours is I can't tell if you are actually kidding or not. That's how bad our society has gotten.

[@adamjohnsonstudio7910]

I don't see the resemblance

[@pheresy1367]

@@lightwishatnight Well, I'm going to stick up for this "joke", seeing that Morpheus is free from illusion, and knows "what's up". Adds weight to Afra's words to the young media addled minds in these very corrupted times (not just Trinidad). IMHO....;-)

[@videhsadacharabhiyan6054]

Interesting ... Rightly says, " Where you have an expenditure of public money, and it is without accountability and it's without transparency, it will always be equal to corruption - whether you're in Russia or Nigeria or Alaska.”

[@velvetindigonight]

Or even sleepy Devon in the UK........ Whenever freedom of information requests are refused there is something deeply wrong with past administration and events................

[@andy4an]

It's very encouraging that if enough people complain, a problem is fixed. we need transparency and public outrage.

[@antediluvianatheist5262]

@kcotte59 Except as demonstrated, it gives people the push to fix it. So actually is serves a very useful purpose.

[@damianmandich8723]

A very interesting, intelligent and charismatic man. I wish there were more people like him. Cheers man and good luck!

[@ronweasley9001]

Thats laurence fishburne for you

[@afmayer]

"corruption is defined as the abuse of trust for the benefit of yourself" == narcissistic abuse

[@jessejames465]

Brilliant and concise. We NEED more citizens of this standard..

[@filthyfilter2798]

We need to change our selves first! Then we might have kids who turn to be like that!

[@exotyktechnologies]

I love the message but I cannot stop thinking "where can I buy a shirt like his?" I LOVE it!!

[@wezy904]

I'd love to attend one of the Ted Talks. Afra Raymond is a fantastic speaker. I admire his ways.

[@mooghead]

I have seen hundreds of TED talks. Each time I clap and cheer and agree. I wake up the next morning and carry on with my life just the same. It makes no difference.

[@parkpatt]

It's good to know that we have people as brilliant as Mr. Raymond on our side in the global fight for justice.

[@_Anti_Communist_]

I enjoy listening to this ted talk, the man has a charisma and dedicated tone to his speech, well presented!

[@danielbtwd]

The betrayal of the "Public Trust" is a Capital crime.

[@filthyfilter2798]

Death and beheading on people who betray! Even better burn the betrayal's family too! This way they might think twice before doing such things!

[@prepperjonpnw6482]

Filthy Filter so you would burn the innocent wives/husbands and children of embezzlers as a deterrent? I think you didn’t think it through before posting this comment. I believe murder is still a worse crime than stealing and yet you would have us commit murder as a way to deter theft. I can’t go there. Sorry but you need to come up with a different plan. How about they get 10 years in prison and while there they spend every Saturday in stocks in a public place where people can abuse them all they want. Then after the tenth year they are hung by the neck until dead in that same public place. Also, all of their assets are forfeit and I mean ALL of their assets.

[@nk53nxg]

Every country needs more people like this guy to hold authority and power to account. It takes the right kind of person to do this though, who understands local law and practices.

[@xxhellspawnedxx]

Transparency is soft value, yes, but in contrast its quite easy to compare. Take the US political system, for example. There it is legal and indeed paramount to having a chance at reaching public office to take bribes from private interests, in return for secret pacts about what your policies are gonna be. In Sweden, parties do their campaigning on a limited allowance of taxpayer money, so that there's a level playing field, as free of corruption as possible.

[@skullman555626]

This talk looks really interesting, but I'm dying for some subtitles.

[@1shazsupreme]

Kudos Afra.Great work man!!

[@Tanoaproductionsfiji]

Thank You Sir. I am inspired and encouraged. Many Blessings on You.

[@mickylemarcano7974]

Laziness has nothing to do with his accent. He is proud to address listeners on a international level about the information he and his colleagues have collected and accessed about his country even though it is not the best of news. HE IS A TRUE TRINI! And people like him also boost my pride in being a Trinidadian as well.

[@liamycheese]

TEDtalks, you have some amazing videos, but would you mind turning the intro and outro sound down? It's a little loud =/

[@leep368]

He sounds like what we call conspiracy theorists in the US. Smart man. I hope he keeps talking and talking.

[@alekstash]

Good luck mister, bring them down...

[@filthyfilter2798]

Yeah good luck staying alive if he keep on searching such things! :(

[@filthyfilter2798]

Ofcs i am for him, not against!

[@armartin0003]

It's nice to see that the countries of Trinidad and Tobago have such loyal and honorable men inside them. I hope he succeeds.

[@pickledbuffalo]

Great talk. Well explained, simply. Totally agree this is a problem everywhere.

[@jmw1500]

I applaud you for taking the extra step. :)

[@alchavez2616]

Didn't understand several specific things he said like standing in the central bank, I understand how banks are a problem through fiat currency vs gold backed but dont understand what he actually meant by his comment and several others

[@xxhellspawnedxx]

Also, size of government doesn't have any correlation, let alone causation, to corruption. Indeed, with larger governments, you'll have to have more checks and balances in place to keep any branch of government from stepping out of bounds. These checks and balances are the very thing that forces a government into a state of transparency, and consequently combats corruption.

[@kayekog]

Impressive presentation. Entertaining, as well.

[@BBQDad463]

A superb and sobering presentation.

[@HamsterPants522]

If there is a way for things to work without money, then I would gladly embrace such a model if it was stable and indeed feasible to create. I do feel like we need to try something new, it's just that the ocean of issues to tackle is so immense, it's difficult to know where to start.

[@BeatNazty]

Lawrence Fishburn from Higher Leaning!!

[@marlonbernard5409]

In Trinidad and Tobago, we are very different. Airport no arrests to date, Gas station rackets of the 70's no one arrested. We are now faced with a shady ferry procurement process. When can we get it right?

[@Dodgyboy43]

great speech and charismatic speaker

[@sfsoma]

Interesting material and an effective speaker. Thank you.

[@Alpinex105]

Well even the 'control over capital' is heavily debated. Capital accumulation is necessary for Research and Development according to many scholars. Once you consider the technical product/research linkage to capital accumulation and control it's actually beneficial. This centralization allows people to fail and learn from their mistakes. The military industrial research and development is a good example of this. I'm a critic of the current monetary system, but it has advantages.

[@RehdClouhd]

This guy is too coherent and righteous for the modern world. People just want to be herded around safely and be blissfully ignorant. You can hear the heads going back into the sand starting halfway through the vid.

[@markterzano8962]

Well said. Where can bribes and corruption be reported?

[@craigcottam]

No, corruption is always about leveraging your position to demand what you have not earned or are due. Corruption is outright greed and is not always tied to money.

[@Proteus6684]

very well said

[@Tespri]

People are able to see large scale. As I already stated, greed is more like obsession than a simply being selfish. Greedy person wouldn't care that much about his family neither.

[@randwhitney6989]

Sub titles would be very helpful for us with hearing difficulties

[@randwhitney6989]

@Sheerluck Holmes Thank you! I have never, in all the years watching videos, was aware of that control. You can probably tell what generation I am from :-)

[@mrmrdean1]

theres still "alot" of blind people out there,people need to search for these type of uploads and get educated on what fools we have all been made of.

[@velvetindigonight]

Hard to find, found this by fluke, it literally jumped out of the computer at me! Try Nick Haneur's TED Talk. Shame You Tubes algorithm's don't throw this up more often. Pitiful amount of vews and comments. We though are on the same page. Enjoy

[@velvetindigonight]

PS I also think good people don't understand that people who smile and are charming don't necessarily have good hearts or their best interests at heart. It takes while to work this one out and you have to change your view of the world and work harder at sussing people out. Also mustrustfull people can't believe that good people exist and do things for no gain. Sad but true.

[@slyknight9812]

He misspelled the website in the power point. 17:08

[@psych4888]

I have a difficulty to understand what he says and apparently so do the automatic captions 6:24

[@Voiceout007]

Nicely Explained

[@markconlon9978]

This is world wide. That small 1% of the population that holds 90% of the wealth, well now you know how most achieved it.

[@Memento_Mori_Music]

That reminds me. I still have to watch 'Paradis or Oblivion' (a docu which deals with this subject). Thanks. :)

[@corneliuscorcoran9900]

Great video. Thank you. Please update us on your struggle. Did you get the b*st*rds?

[@ashcomics13]

Thank you for your knowledge Master Morphius.

[@LeGioNoFZioN]

I am not bringin up relationships, merely sex. I am a Canuck but my background is West Indian (Caribbean). For many of us bedding as many women as possible is a social right of passage. It is not sharing to have sex with as many women as possible - while misleading and outright lying about it. if a couple wants an open relationship that is their business but deceitfully telling a woman what she wants to hear while having no intention of following through is not an example of altruism

[@ElenaDCalin-ch7ch]

Amazing !!! Best

[@drewn4344]

Those offshore accounts are known in the U.S. as CAFR accounts. Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports which are separate and apart from the Budget, which is just money allocated by the legislature for a given project or agency.

[@1shakezula1]

This was nothing short of distressing :(

[@tdbsnr]

Corruption is now a world-wide problem. I used to think that Africa was terrible, America was worse, but I realise that it is all over. Where do we go from here, when everybody bar a few are stealing public money... I flatly refuse to donate anything to international charities because I know it will never reach its intended recipients.

[@BROCCLISTE]

One correction - there was a precedent for a blanket government guarantee of repayment to all creditors of a Financial institution. The Irish people are now shouldering an extra perhaps €70bn of debt (nearly half of the country's GDP) thanks to the wonderful generosity of the Irish government towards the creditors of the Irish banks in 2008.

[@ThinkingCap_]

I don't get it.. 0:15... ?

[@holleey]

and once again you gave your best to confirm what i'm talking about. really, what you wrote has nothing to do with the point i'm trying to make, we are talking about different things here. which again, is my point. :)

[@yellowcat25]

Always thought Saudi people were ignorant about the corruption in their system, I mean except for the Shee3a population, everyone seems pretty pleased with the rulers. Thank you for giving me hope!

[@JayCain3000]

What was the third myth?

[@michaelmcmedia]

I agree, capital accumulation has its uses, my main point is about legal monopolies. Capital in the private sector gave us most of the beneficial technologies we use today, with the exception of the internet (though it was entrepreneurs that made it great). Capital in the public sector is what gave us most of the WMD, killer robots, and the more questionable research projects. On failure - it was the build up of bad debt (deferred failure) made possible by central banks that caused the crash.

[@jjhjjff]

Oh man it's like he's speaking about Saudi Arabia. We suffer massive corruption where public resources have been wasted or stolen as he says. Many people of the top society abuse their power.

[@jmw1500]

For what purpose was the internet created? For what reason is the computer made incredibly small and user friendly? Sorry I did not know that.

[@johnnyfnblaze]

Absolutely!! A awesome video! Please watch and share. We have to save the world!

[@ikkylovesbass]

His accent is lovely, he doesn't need to change a thing.

[@DaleBurgess]

That's too easy. If we believe there has to be corruption if people are involved, then there is nothing to do. It may be difficult, but it can't be impossible. Societies can get better, but only if people are willing to hold themselves and others accountable.

[@OurCognitiveSurplus]

I don't think corruption is a crime, because corrupt governments have been busy legalising corruption. I.e. there's no law in the US against taking a multimillion dollar donation from an oil company, than passing laws to benefit oil companies. Point being that we need to stop corruption, and we need to look more broadly than just the criminal law to do that.

[@xxhellspawnedxx]

I can speak for five of those countries (The Nordic countries). We all have what Americans would call "large" governments, in that taxes are higher than yours, and a lot more public functions are funded through that tax money. All of these have publicly funded schools, healthcare, lots of public projects and state-owned companies going on and a lot of secondary organizations working within the government body.

[@velvetindigonight]

I personally look to Scandanavia as a place where community and looking after one another via high taxes and great housing, education, health, standard of living and gross national happiness works. When I look at your countries I see minimal corruption and a lot of positivity even your prisons are therapeutic. To me you are a beacon of hope in a very 'rotten' world. I wish I had more than 5.7% Scandanavian DNA I'd be asking to come home!

[@sighthoundman]

@@velvetindigonight DNA is irrelevant. Swedish law grants citizenship to children based on the citizenship status of the parents (there is no Right of Return a la Israel and Jews). I assume the other Nordic countries are the same. I don't know if there are special rules for the Sami. Much as we hate to admit to imperfections in "perfect societies", the caribou-herders aren't always treated as fully human. Edit: The exact rules changed 1 April 2015. After that date, if either parent is a Swedish citizen then the child is, with residency requirements to maintain citizenship (and rules for maintaining citizenship if you don't reside in Sweden). Before that date, the rules were the same for the mother and also for the father if he was married to the mother. I have no idea what the rules might have been the law change before that. (Once upon a time, throughout much of Europe, people whose parents weren't married had almost no rights at all.)

[@AnimeSummit]

Singapore is also in debt so hard it makes America's debt look miniscule

[@chromanin]

Corruption is a by-product of people. Any system will be corrupted by people... Take away money and it will still occur in the distribution of resources. Lack of moral character & intellectual honesty are the issues we need to address, the 'system' will then work itself out. Equality in terms of wealth is a dubious goal... If you force equal compensation for everyone, you remove much of the incentive for those who can achieve great things.

[@michaelmcmedia]

On the money debate - it's not money that is evil, it's the centralised control over it. Money as a free market commodity actually makes trade incredibly easy instead of causing misery, the problem is the false scarcity created by debt-based currency.

[@999across]

I think you & others missed the initial point, people will put value into objects because it makes trade easier. Even if you abolish the current form of currency. People will trade sea shells, tally sticks,spices, etc all of which have been used as a form of money. Placing blame on inanimate object is counterproductive to solving corruption as well as impracticable.

[@LeGioNoFZioN]

.. aspect of our much more complex beings. so on some of this we agree, being one person of a very large family, my experience leaves no room for doubt that greed is a part of our makeup. but I do not extrapolate that because it is we must all be given to greed and obsess about wealth.

[@RyderSpearmann]

We're not examining the many variations in detail, we're examining the strong effects. Government corruption is universal, where cultural corruption is not. Government corruption is nearly impossible to fight, because power is concentrated there, corruption in the private sector far less so. That's the point. Therefore, if ALL wealth goes through the most universally and stubbornly corrupt organs of a civilization, then WILL have far worse effects from THAT corruption.

[@ahn1973]

The remedy is transparency. The question is just to what extent we want it? To the cost of freedom, integrity and privacy etc... To me corruption is about power. Money is just a tool.

[@boeingdriver29]

Here, here 👏

[@LeGioNoFZioN]

I do agree they are close, but there is a distinction between the two. I agree with your characterization that greed is obsessive and illogical. because greed is in our nature does not mean we are bound by it and incapable of rising above it. take two 3 year olds, give one ice cream or candy and give the other nothing, it is natural for the child who received nothing to want what the other has, this is our nature of greed. Take two 8 or 10 years olds and do the same test.

[@Batterypoweredpenguin]

Which languages do you speak fluently without any accent?

[@file83]

Anyone who keeps public/corporate money a secret should go to prison for life.

[@asherujudo7383]

This is a very important topic being discussed by a serious man, but my god, that accent! It sounds like some of my favorite songs. I keep waiting for the beat to drop.

[@MrPhildas]

we need a international police and law that say no one can be above that law.

[@Venator70]

There's another school of thought that says if someone is reading your slide, they're not listening to you speak. This said, ask three people for the perfect presentation and you'll like get four presentations that you'll hate in their entirety. XD

[@LeGioNoFZioN]

as for capitalism, it isn't built around greed, it is built around self interest. all capitalism is, in its truest theorietical form is self interest and there is a decided difference between self interest and greed. when you set aside money for your children to inherit that isn't a greedy motivation, it is a self interested motivation. your care for your children prompts you to provide something for after you leave this earth. your ability to share your private ownings with your family is

[@johnnyfnblaze]

If you are interested more you should watch "Zeitgeist Addendum" and videos about " the Venus Project". I would love to hear your critique.

[@bburg0408]

(1 of 2) I specifically said many people find it hard to understand AMERICANS and actually I’m a native English speaker who lives in Switzerland! IMO, the Swiss are quite insecure people who want to be seen to be perfect, that’s why they make such a big effort to speak English correctly. Also, you can’t compare a Native English speaker whose spoken with a dialect all his life, with non-Natives who are usually taught Standard English.

[@yellowcat25]

First time I watch a video and have no idea what they're talking about. Though the Arab World has awoken to an extent to corruption, I still know very, very little about it:/ And I feel like the world has kept the rest of us non-Africans very ignorant about the politics of Africa. (Funny how some commenters are talking about his accent, thank God for having Kenyan and Ugandan teachers!)

[@LeGioNoFZioN]

this seems to be a viewpoint difference, I would say greed is a part of humanity like love is, or like hate is, these need not be things that define the totality of our existsence, but they are a part of the building blocks that make each of us who we are. Innate traits that influence who we are. I see greed in the eyes of many including those who claim to be against the greed of others. Being against corporate greed is no innoculation against greed ...

[@newengland72]

"Money rests on the axiom that every man is the owner of his mind and his effort. Money allows no power to prescribe the value of your effort except by the voluntary choice of the man who is willing to trade you his effort in return. Money permits you to obtain for your goods and your labor that which they are worth to the men who buy them, but no more. Money permits no deals except those to mutual benefit by the unforced judgment of the traders." Francisco d. Anconia, Atlas Shrugged Ayn Rand

[@ThinkingCap_]

Makes sense. Was wondering how impatient youtubers have gotten!

[@craigcottam]

"Greed is a attribute which wouldn't help us at all in evolution. " Seriously? If you go back far enough greed is what makes one man survive better than the next giving his genes a better chance to to be passed on. It's the same across the entire animal spectrum, not always as individuals but certainly as close groups if not. Ever see a lion offer more food to another before he's satisfied?

[@MarkoSrbija01]

Good Video

[@LeGioNoFZioN]

it is the greed to possess -- to conquer -- to have a woman -- when you have no intention of staying around longer than a few romps (especially when that is not the nature of the relationship as you communicate with one another), that is an example of greed. when you have a woman or wife, and you see another one you want and you go for it despite a commitment to the first woman, that is greed.

[@johnnyfnblaze]

We can't get rid of corruption without getting rid of the money/capitalist system we have. When we have a society and culture of haves and have nots, we will always have crime. Good video but doesn't go hard enough. WE NEED TO GET RID OF MONEY! PERIOD!!

[@holleey]

maybe get involved with a project like thevenusproject com they strive for a resource based economy in which money is no longer needed and have extensive planning for city and school systems. to me it's really interesting, but at the moment i'm only observing.

[@Fenrir1]

Lack of oversight and transparency enables corruption yes, but doesn't cause it IMO. You don't for instance take a brive because nobody is "watching", you take it because you want or need the money. Oversight and transparency might in that case prevent it, but the drive or desire to take the bribe would still be there so the root of the problem is not reached. Also, corruption is not just a problem of the west. It is a problem everywhere, in all forms of govenment and cultures.

[@writerconsidered]

6 years later and only 138k views for a channel with 14 million subs, thanks youtube.

[@Alpinex105]

Actually the debts are taken on to promote a strong domestic economy through the trickling down of resources - although this is disputed. I understand your point, but keep in mind that monopolies are responsible for some great infrastructure (telephone AT&T and Bell). I'm a critic of Capitalism, but let's try understand the good with the bad. Great post though, much respect brother.

[@RyderSpearmann]

I think it is the right goal... the right direction... but as with total perfection, likely not possible. Government has functions to perform, and such work must consume some resources, and taxation is at least a reasonable means to drive those functions. But if we minimize those functions... get government out of the vast bulk of areas it plays in, the opportunities for corruption go way down.

[@solstice2318]

Corruption is human nature. Anywhere, anytime, anyone was/is/or will be corrupted. It's good to fight it but it is an ever losing battle. The more power and means are rendered efficient and accessible to any person or organization the faster and higher the corruption potential rises. And in corruption the word potential is never left at that. It is always transformed into action. Communication has never been easier and incryption was never stronger through modern means. These are means of great power. The greater the power the higher the temptation for corruption.